Coin-controlled apparatus.



PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907.

M. F. PRICE. 00m CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 29, 1904.

WITNESSES.

ATTORNE 7H: NORRIS PETERS .20., umsnmcron, n. c.

UNITED STATES MILBERT FRANKLIN PRICE, OF IOWA CITY, IOWA.

COIN-CONTROLLED APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 6, 1907 Application filed July 29,1904. Serial No.218,678.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILBEn'r FRANKLIN PRICE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Iowa City, in the county of Johnson and Stateof Iowa, have invented a new and Improved Coin-Controlled Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention relates to a coin-controlled apparatus, intendedparticularly for use in connection with collar button vending machines,but useful with various other apparatus, as will be apparent to skilledmechanics.

The invention is an improvement on the mechanism forming thesubject-matter of my prior patent, No. 681,732, dated September 3, 1901,and of my co-pending application, Serial No. 210,954, filed June 3,1904.

In the various apparatus disclosed in my prior patent and co-pendingapplication, the merchandise chute is provided withtwo stops which arealternately operative, so that the articles of merchandise will beindividually delivered from the chute. These steps are operated bycertain peculiar devices in turn actuated by the coin as it is inserted.

The present improvements relate first to the peculiar arrangement andinterconnection of the stops, and second to the peculiar connectionbetween the same and the coin chute, whereby the coin upon its insertioninto the machine serves automatically to bring about the said alternateoperation of the stops and individually deliver the articles ofmerchandise.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, showing as examplethe preferred embodiment of my invention, in which drawings like lettersof reference indicate like parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the coin and merchandise chutes withparts in section, this view showing the appratus in its normal or activeposition. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the coin and merchandisechutes, and illustrating the stops and their immediate allied parts inoperation; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the arm for retractingthe upper stop or stops; Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of theupper stops; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the spring; Fig. 6is a detail perspective view of the lower stop; and Fig. 7 is afragmentary elevation showing the preferred form of the lower part ofthe merchandise chute.

In its practical embodiment, the apparatus is mounted in a case, a partof the wall of which is indicated at 10 in the drawings, said casehaving an opening 10 through which loosely projects the upper section 11of the coin chute. Said upper section 11 is tubular in form and ismounted by a hinge 12 on the lower section 14 of said chute. The uppersection 11 of the coin chute is freely movable on its hinge 12 andwithin the tion shown in Fig. 1 by means of a spring 15. The coin wheninserted in the section 11 of the chute, and if of tin proper size, willstrike the lower part of said section and the upper wall of the opening10, throwing said section 11 downward until its lower wall strikes thelower wall of the said opening 10. After the coin passes the opening 10it rolls freely down the section 11 into the perpendicular main part orlower section 14 of the coin chute, and finally the coin'passes from thelower end of the chute into a suitable receptacle as is common in theart to which my invention relates.

16 indicates the merchandise chute, which is preferably of the sameconstruction as is disclosed in my prior patent and co-pendingapplication referred to.

According to the present form of the invention, two upper stops 17 areprovided and one lower stop 18. The upper stops project through openings16 in the merchandise chute, and the lower stop projects through a notch16" in the lower extremity of said chute. The upper stops 1'7 are in theform of lingers having shoulders 17 thereon, said fingers being carriedby a body part 1'7 which is preferably integral with the fingers. Thelingers or steps 17 are mounted to rock on a pin 19 which extendstransversely of the chute at the rear side thereof, and is carried inlugs 18 formed on the upper part of the body 18 on the lower stop 18.Said stop fingers 1'7 are capable of assuming the active position shownin Fig. 1, by which they project into the merchandisechute to preventthe fall of the superimposed buttons, or to assume the inactive positionshown in Fig. 2, in which they lie out of the chute, the shoulders 17hearing against the rear wall of the chute. The lower stop 18 has lugs18 formed on its body portion, and these lugs are mounted to rock arounda pin 20 carried in lugs 16, preferably stamped up from the merchandisechute. The arrangement of the lower stop is such that it may occupy theretracted position shown in Fig. 1, allowing the button below the upperstops to fall from the merchandise chute, or it may occupy the active orprotuberant position shown in Fig. 2, after which the stops lie withinthe chute and support the buttons above it. The parts are yieldinglyheld in both of the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by means of apeculiar spring shown best in Fig. 5. This spring is formed preferablyof an integral metal plate and has an arm 2] bearing on the upperportion of the body 1'7 of the upper stops. At its upper end the armcarries two spring fingers 21. terminating in trunnion-like extensions21*, these trunnions being mounted loosely in lugs 16 formed on themerchandise chuteand lying forward of the plane of the body part 17 ofthe upper stop 17, so that the spring will exert the necessary tensionon the two stops, holding them opening 10, and is yieldingly held in theraised posil yieldingly in either of their two positions. An arm 22 liesbetween the spring and the merchandise chute thus yieldingly holding thearm in the position shown in Fig. Said arm extends downward under thepin 19 and has its upper extremity fulcrumed on a pin 23 mounted in lugs16 stamped up from the merchandise chute. The upper extremity of the arm22 is turned rearward and suitably connected with the link 24, whichextends upward to a bell crank lever 25 fulcrumed on the upper part ofthe merchandise chute and adaptedto be engaged by a cam surface l1 onthe upper section 11 of the coin chute.

The parts are so arranged that when the upper stops 17 are in theinactive position shown in Fig. 2, the lower end of the body 17 of saidstops will be thrown out in the path of the coin falling from the coinchute; when, however, the upper parts are active as shown in Fig.1, thebody 17" lies out of said path of the coin. Assuming the parts to be inthe position shown in Fig. 1, a coin inserted into the coin chute willdepress the upper section 11 thereof, causing the cam surface ll to rockthe lever 25 and move upward the link 24. This results in a rearwardmovement of the lower part of the arm 22 and in consequent reversal ofthe position of the stops 17 and 18, the parts then assuming thepositions shown in Fig. 2, the superimposed pile of buttons resting uponthe upper stops 17, and when said parts are retracted the pile ofbuttons falls on the lower part 18, which is then active. The parts areso proportionedthat the distance between the stops is just sufficient toreceive a single button, or two or more buttons in case the machine isdesigned to deliver a plurality of buttons for a single coin. After thecoin has passed the upper section 1]. of the coin chute, it fallsrapidly through the main part 14 and strikes the protruded body part 17b on the upper stop s, throwing inward the same and disengaging theshoulders 17 from the merchandise chute, thus permitting the spring toturn the parts to the positions shown in Fig. 1, during which operationthe upper steps 17 areprotruded to hold in the merchandise chute all ofthe buttons but one, and the lower stop 18 is retracted to permit thisone button to fall freely from the merchandise chute and to be therebydelivered from the machine.

It will appear that by means of this device the in sertion of the coinbrings about the dropping of an article of merchandise into position fordelivery,

and then if the coin proves to be of the proper size, weight, etc. as itpasses from the coin chute it throws the parts back into normalposition, which results in the delivery of one of the collar buttons (ortwo or more if the machine is so proportioned) and in holding in thechute the remainder of the buttons in position for a subsequentoperation, the same as above described.

Various changes in the form, proportions and minor details of myinvention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scopethereof. I consider myself entitled to all such variations as may liewithin the scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. The combination with a merchandise chute and a coin chute having amovable member, of'two stops coacting with the merchandise chute, aconnection between the stops to cause them to operate alternately, oneof said stops having a shoulder adapted to engage a stationary part tohold it in inactive position, means tending to yieldingly press saidshoulder against said stationary part, means for operating the stop fromthe movable member of the coin chute to move the said step with itsshoulder in engagement with the stationary part, and means controlled bythe dropping of the coin from said chute for releasing the said stop topermit it to move into active position.

2. The combination with a merchandise chute and a coin chute having areciprocating member, of two stops coacting with the merchandise chute,a connection between the stops to cause them to operate alternately, oneof said stops having a shoulder thereon adapted to engage with themerchandise chute to hold said stop in inactive position, a springpressing said stop toward its active position, means for moving the stopinto inactive position and engaging its shoulder with the merchandisechute, from the reciprocating member of the coin chute, and means fordisengaging said shoulder from the merchandise chute by the dropping ofthe coin from said chute to permit said step to move into activeposition.

3. The combination of a merchandise chute, two spring pressed andalternately operating stops for the chute, the upper stop having ashoulder adapted to engage the chute to hold it in inactive position, acoin chute having a movable member, means for operating the stops fromthe mov able member of the coin chute to move the upper stop intoinactive position with its shoulder in engagement with the merchandisechute and the lower stop into active position, and means for disengagingthe upper stop from the mer chandise chute by the passage of the cointhrough the coin chute to permit the said stop to move into activeposition and the lower stop into inactive position.

-i. The combination of a coin chute having a reciprocating member at itsupper end, a merchandise chute, two spring pressed and alternatelyoperating stops for the merchandise chute, the upper stop having ashoulder adapted to engage the chute to hold said stop in inactiveposition, means for operating the stops from the reciprocating member ofthe coin chute to move the upper stop into inactive position with itsshoulder in engagement with the chute and the lower step into activeposition, and a member carried by the upper stop and projecting into thepath of the coin dropping from the coin chute when the shoulder of saidstop is in engagement with the merchandise chute.

5. The combination of a coin chute having a reciprocating member at itsupper end, said reciprocating member having a cam thereon, a merchandisechute, two spring pressed and alternately operating stops for themercl1andise chute, the upper stop haying a shoulder adapted to engagethe merchandise chute to hold said stop in inactive position, an elbowlever operatively connected with the stops and projecting into the pathof the cam on the re ciprocating member of the coin chute, and a membercarried by the shouldered stop and projecting below the discharge end ofthe coin chute when the shoulder of the said stop is in engagement withthe merchandise chute.

6. The combination of a coin chute having a reciprocat ing member, amerchandise chute, a feeding device for the merchandise chute, means foroperating the feeding device from the reciprocating member of the coinchute to feed the articles in position for delivery, and means operatedby the dropping of the coin from the coin chute for operating the feeddevice to permit the discharge of the articles from the said chute.

7. The combination of a casing wall having an opening therein, a coincliute having a hingedly mounted part projecting into the openingwhereby, upon the insertion of a coin, said hingedly mounted part willbe operative, a mer chandise chute, means for controlling the deliverytherefrom, an operating member in connection with saidmeans andjuxtaposed to the discharge end of the coin chute for the purposespecified, a link connected with said means, also to operate it, anelbow lever connected with the link, and a cam on the movable part ofthe coin chute, said cam engaging the elbow lever to operate it upon theoperation of the movable part of the coin chute.

S. The combination of a coin chute having a reciprocating member, amerchandise chute, a feeding device for the merchandise chute, means foroperating the feeding device from the reciprocating" member of the coinchute to feed the articles into position for delivery, and a membercarried by the feeding device and adapted to project into the path ofthe coin dropping from the coin chute, whereby the feed device will beoperated by the coin to permit of the discharge of the articles fromsaid chute.

U. A vending machine embodying a reciprocallysupported coin chutedepressible by an incoming coin, a merchandise hopper, mechanismsupported from said hopper adapt 10 ed to first receive the merchandiseand then deliver the same, and mechanism carried by the coin chute tooperate said first named mechanism to receive the merchandise by thedepression of said chute and then deliver-the merchandisc on thedropping of the coin.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this 15 specification inthe presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MILBERT FRANKLIN PRICE. Witnesses H. A. Romxsox, LILLIAX HENDERSON.

